Network channels rewrite FTA ratings order; Star Utsav leads the pack

New Delhi: The Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC) landscape in India’s free-to-air (FTA) television market witnessed a dramatic reshuffle following the entry of top-tier network channels onto DD Freedish starting April 1.

Data from BARC India reveals that Star Utsav has emerged as the new leader, displacing long-time FTA champion Dangal in terms of weekly TVR (television rating) performance.

Star Utsav, which made its debut on DD Freedish in Week 13, witnessed an unprecedented surge in ratings. From a GRP of 19 in Week 12, the channel catapulted to 106 by Week 15, overtaking Dangal's hold on the FTA market. 

By Week 14, Star Utsav had already recorded 102 TVR, edging past Dangal’s 97, and solidified its position at the top in Week 15.

Dangal, the undisputed FTA leader until March, began to feel the pressure from new entrants immediately. Starting at a GRP of 127 in Week 12, Dangal saw a steady decline across subsequent weeks, falling to 97 in Week 14 and 99 in Week 15.

Colors Rishtey, part of JioStar, which re-entered DD Freedish with the strength of Viacom18’s vast IP bank, clocked 14 GRPs in Week 12 and saw steady growth to 45 GRPs in Week 15, marking a 3X rise in just three weeks.

Sony Pal entered with 20 GRPs in Week 12 and climbed to 47 in Week 15, proving that marquee fiction properties have strong recall value even in FTA homes.

Zee Anmol also witnessed a sharp rise in viewership as the channel grew from 9 GRPs in Week 12 to 32 GRPs in Week 15.

However, the network GECs have contributed to the overall viewership growth of the DD Freedish platform instead of cutting much into the viewership of independent channels.

In Week 12, the top GECs from the above table garnered 371 GRPs. By Week 15, the overall GRPs grew to 473.

The entry of big network channels into the DD Freedish universe has disrupted the long-standing dominance of independent players like Dangal and Big Magic. As the likes of Star, Sony, and Viacom18 ramp up reach and scale, media buyers expect advertising spends to shift toward these high-performing platforms.

A senior media planner told BestMediaInfo.com on condition of anonymity, “With this kind of weekly TVR movement, the advertising pie in the FTA segment is going to get redistributed.”